North Dakota Furtakers Educational Manual

Bobcat

COMMON NAME: Bobcat

DISTRIBUTION: Abundant only in the counties adjoining the Little Missouri, Heart, Cannonball, and Missouri Rivers.
Occasional along the Red River in eastern North Dakota and in the northern counties. Rare in the prairie pothole
region of North Dakota.

HABITAT: Bobcats prefer rough country and dense timber or brush. They are somewhat shy and are not normally
abundant in the vicinity of thickly populated areas.

LIFE HISTORY: Bobcats breed in February or March and the two to four young are born about 63 days later. The
young bobcats stay in their nests, usually a cave or hole in the rocks or a side hill, for about two months. They
remain with their parents through the winter.

Bobcats weigh from eleven to thirty pounds with occasional larger specimens weighing even more. They are most
active at night and spend much of their time during the day in sleeping. They do not hibernate but are active all
winter.

FOOD HABITS: Rabbits, ground squirrels, chipmunks, and mice make up the bulk of the bobcats' diet. They also
eat birds, carrion, and poultry and occasionally take young livestock and deer if available.

TRAPPING THE BOBCAT

SUGGESTED BAIT: Bobcat gland lures, or fresh meat scraps like the coyote, the bobcat follows definite routes of
travel when making its rounds and will travel the same trail each time it is in the area. If you can determine where
these routes are, you can catch bobcats in trail or blind sets. Good spots for such a set can be found where a trail is
narrowed down by natural obstructions. By placing guide sticks across the path, you can increase the chances of
having the bobcats step into your trap.

Visual attracters can be hung in a tree or brush and a trap concealed under it. Many bobcat trappers hang a piece of
skin above a trap in such a way that the wind moves it around and draws the attention of the cat to the bait. Some
trappers build roofed cubbies of sticks or other materials and use them year after year. These are especially useful
in areas where deep snow will normally cover your bait and trap.

Bobcats are often caught in dirt hole sets made for foxes. The dirt hole set can be modified for trapping bobcats by
substituting a catnip lure for the fox urine and liver.